To Fritz, Quicksilver, and all the exceptional makers trying to get the word out

I think a lot of new Magnepan owners owners find themselves surprised by that company’s speakers’ need for very high power at low impedances. I bought my first pair of Maggies---the original Tympani T-I---in 1973, and bi-amped it with an Audio Research D-75 and D-51 power amps. The original Maggie was an 8 ohm load, while all future models have been 4 ohm (dropping to 3 ohms at some frequencies).

My current Tympani T-IVa’s require massive amounts of power. When I have them set up (not currently possible), I bi-amp them using a PS Audio 200w/ch amp on the two bass panels, and a Music Reference RM-200 MK.2 on the tweeter/mid panels. Roger Modjeski designed the RM-200 to do two things: 1- produce 100 watts from a single pair of KT-88’s. And 2- To perform well into low impedance loudspeakers. The RM-200 (in original and MK.2 iterations) was Michael Fremer’s reference "affordable" tube amp for over a decade. The Magnepan ribbon tweeter, by the way, is a beauty, one of the best available.

In contrast, while the Eminent Technology LFT-8b shares roughly the same sensitivity as the Maggies (83-84dB), it’s 8 ohm impedance is much friendlier to tube amps. And if you bi-amp the LFT-8b (easy to do, as it has dual binding posts, one for the woofer, another for the t/m panel), the t/m panel presents an 11 ohm load, great for tube amps. Use any old amp on the woofer (I still have an Electron Kinetics Eagle 2A, a great low frequency reproducer), and either a Music Reference RM-9 Mk.2 (using 8 EL34 tubes) or RM-200 Mk.2 (4 KT88’s), both producing 125w into 8 ohms, plenty for the LFT-8b m/t panels.

I have been always advocating audiophiles that one would get better performing gear within his reach if one explores more, than expensive big names and exquisite/extravagant tech.

Another for Quicksilver. I’ve been using Quicksilver gear for the past 20 years. Great sound, great build quality and reasonably priced. I’ve tried other gear and the Quicksilver always goes back into my system. BTW, Mike Sanders the owner and designer is one of the best when you have any questions. I recently had to send an amp back for a repair that I caused. He fixed it for only 80 bucks and I had it back within one week!

Anyone have Quicksilver’s line stage preamp?

Look forward to your impressions.

@decooney Thanks for the kind words.

@ghasley Hello from your CO neighbor!

@tksteingraber I like the way you phrased your praise. There is this weird, unassuming naturalness to the speakers, the experience of music "just happening to be in the room." I suspect that these speakers might be best for my life just set up simply, in a living space with a small, well integrated rather than in my "audio room." They are great there, too, but I see them just becoming part of daily life listening, as @decooney described.

Eminent Technology LFT loudspeakers is on my short list of speakers to try.

@sns Hi back to you! Boutique+used is a path to some really interesting gear. It requires up front research, and that may be a hurdle for some. I like the idea of a world with more small makers -- and more local techs to help with a fix or upgrade if shipping is a problem. I know a lot of people on the forum have said that small makers are great...but what if they go out of business, etc?

@thecarpathian Both are easy to drive and tube amp-friendly.

The ribbon tweeter and the soft dome tweeter make one difference; the Fritz are softer up top but not blurry-soft. They tame most recordings that are a bit bright (e.g. Fagen’s Nightfly). The Ascends are clear and brighter -- but not as bright as, say, a Beryllium tweeter (which I cannot stand). The RAAL ribbon is quite high quality and it provides a kind of airy transparency to the highs which are almost always not-too-bright.

The bass on both are good, with the Fritz being surprisingly good for a bookshelf. It’s not "fudging" the bass -- it really digs low in an honest way. The Ascends are the same.

Fritz’s midrange is perhaps the "killer app" of the speaker. They have this way of putting instruments or voices "in the room" but not in that freaky way that some extremely expensive speakers do. There’s just this presence that seems to be happening without a technological interface. The midrange on the Ascend is excellent, too; honest and not too forward. But it’s not "magical."

The soundstage on both is very good and detailed, with extra size and articulation going to the Ascends; if I listened to *mostly* symphonic or large and complex music and I had to choose one speaker, it would be the Ascend. For small ensembles, jazz, I’d say Fritz. For a lot of hard-driving rock, it’s a tie based on your ears.

The Fritz are like my good leather jacket; comfortable, nice looking but casual. The Ascends are like my nice peacoat -- sharp looking, stylish, classy but also easy.

I had the QS linestage (non-remote) and upgraded it. But after a few months of trying it back and forth with a 6sn7-based preamp, I sold it. It’s solidly made, and quiet as hell, but really doesn’t add much character, even with some nice tube changes. If I had to choose btw a good solid state preamp and the QS line stage, I’d just eliminate the tubes from that stage of my system, altogether.